Man from Commerce sets Mickey Mantle statue on fire

He set the statue of an American sports hero on fire.

33-year-old Garrette Lee Brown of Commerce is charged with 4th degree arson in Ottawa county after lighting up statue of Mickey Mantle in Commerce on November 27th.

Brown reportedly said he doesn’t like statues and creating idols to anyone except God.

Mantle, a baseball Hall of Famer, played locally for Commerce and as a professional for the Joplin Miners before being called up by the Yankees.

Mantle was an Oklahoma native who became one of baseball’s greatest players. Also known as “The Commerce Comet” and “The Mick”, Mantle built his career by practicing switch-hitting at his childhood home with his father and grandfather.

Mantle died in 1995 at age 63.

A court appearance is scheduled for Brown today in Ottawa County.